Dead Kennedys are a punk-rock band that formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American punk movement during the early 1980s, and gathered a large underground following among the international punk-music scene. Their music combines the traditional raw angst of the British 1970s punk movement with the 1980s American punk-rock movement. The Dead Kennedys' music stands out for the social and political undertones that are expressed through the satire and sarcasm of their lyrics. The band gained allot of attention from the media with the release of their 1985 album, “Frankenchrist,” which caused some controversy due to the graphic and explicit nature of the artwork on the album cover. The band's original lineup consisted of Jello Biafra on vocals, East Bay Ray on guitar, Klaus Flouride on bass, and Ted on drums and percussion, which the addition of Carlos Cadona as a secondary guitarist at a later date. The band put out five studio albums before disbanding in 1986.
When they first started out the Dead Kennedys played in local bars and venues around town; their first gig was in 1978, at the Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco, to a an excited crowd. The press had mixed reactions about the band, controversy erupted over their name, which only gave them more press and a larger turn out at their live shows – people came to see what all the fuss was about. The band released their first single, “California Über Alles,” in 1979 on the independent label Alternative Tentacles, which they followed up with a successful east coast tour of the states. The band's debut album, “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables” appeared in 1980 and peaked at #33 on the U.K. Albums chart. Cadona had already left the band at this point and Ted left after the release of their debut. The band followed up with “In God We Trust, Inc.” (1981), which saw the band moving more towards a hardcore thrash sound. Despite the band's moderate success, large following, and the release of three more studio albums, the band decided to call it quits in 1986.
2001 saw the band reunite with Ray, Peligro, Flouride, and Brandon Cruz replacing Biafra on vocals. The band embarked on a tour across the states, Europe, Asia, South America, and Russia. Cruz left the band in May 2003 and was replaced by Jeff Penalty. The new incarnation of the Dead Kennedys released two live albums on Manifesto Records: “Mutiny on the Bay” and “Live at the Deaf Club,” which was both moderately successful. By 2008 the band decided to take a break from touring and played selective shows and festivals. 2010 saw the band hit the road again for a tour of the east coat with performances in Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., Portland, Maine and Hawaii. During one of these shows the band debuted a new song, “You're Such a Fake,” which the fans embraced. Currently the band are working on solo projects and writing new material.